Nail Reconstruction with Distraction Lengthening

Journal of the Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand 2007;12(1):17-21.
Published online March 1, 2007.

Sung Tack Kwon

가골신연술을 이용한 손톱의 재건

권성택

Abstract

The nail cannot stand alone without bone and soft tissue support. For the restoration of bony support, 14 distraction lengthening were done for the nail reconstruction (1996~2007). Targets of lengthening were 9 distal and 5 middle phalanges, in which new pouches for artificial nail plate (acryl) were made. The average age ofpatients were 29.8 years (13~42). The resting period of one week was followed by gradual lengthening at the rate of 0.125 mm/day. Average gain of length was 87.1% (38~218%). Minor paronychial touches for nail bed and hyponichium were done in 6 phalanges. Every patient was satisfied with the newly reformed nail, which overcome the disfigurements resulted from the deficiency of bone. The distraction lengthening, owing to its most attractive merits of simultaneous gain of bone and soft tissue, is suggested to join the variety of methods of nail reconstructions the along with the micro-vascular free toe-nail transfer.